Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-06-03
PORT TOBACCO, MARYLAND, JUNE 3, 1857

hnrt an unknown advcnturer, who hat
- right to claim kinship with the ole
imily Of the Hurts of AIten-Aar.
The emperor wished to reward thil
lndwig for his services, and so h,
''oked around for some strong castle t,
give to Ludwig's keep.
The eyes Of the tyrant fell upon tn,
Tower ofAverbock. Conrad Of Kiphau
sen was dead, and his daughter, Joque
ne, flaxcn. haired beauty of twenty,
ucld her fathers lands, and was toasted
much by the ncighboring gallants under
the title Of the 'Lady of AvcrBoch."
Many a German lord had laid siege 20
'he heart Of the heircss of Averbock,
ana report hintcd that the young Lord
q Ebcrstine was the favored lover.
The tyrant noted the Castle Of Aver.
oock and its fair lady. lie sent mes
: &C to her and proposed to wed her to
noble knight Of his court for the great
--"ye he had borne her father, the dead
conrad. But the spirited Joqucline
whose early life had been spent in the
cnted field, and who possessed a war
.sOr's heart beneath her sllken robes, de-
lined the cmperor's offer. She under.
TODD that the crafty Albert coveted her
air castle for one of his favorites.
The tyrant was not easily befTl ID, and
royal herald rode to the Castle Of Aver
och and made proclamation that Lui-
zig of Kurt, cousin to the dead lord,
.ycrhard, the Rhenish red beard,
laimed the domain of Avcrboch, and
hat the emperor summoned the lady to
ppear at his imperial court to contest
he claim.
That the advcnturer was neither kith
ior kin to the old robber lord was ap-
aren't to all but what justice could one
Wpect at the hands of tyrant, eager
b reward one of his minions.
The emperor affected to hear the case;
loth parties made their statements, the
dventurer backing his claim by twenty
ogues, who swore right stoughtly that
hey knew him to be the cousin of the
ID red beard.
Joquelinc was in despair, for she saw
hat the trial was farce, and that the
enperor intended to decide against
hr regardless of the truth, and,
. tho last resource, she claimed
tie "ordcal by battle" the right
d every noble when life or prop
ETY. was at stake.
''Grant her prayer, most, noble en-
Pror," cried the adventurcr, confident
4 his skill in arms. 'Let her produce a
aampion, and if with lance do not
rove that my cause is just, then l am
antent to losc."
1sfWithin ono week Joqueline must pro-
luce champion in tho lists ready to
contend with Ludwig or lose her estate.
The maiden counted that young Eber-
tine would fight for her, but ere the
inc came, on couch of sickness the
rouag lord lay.
The .rumpets sounded in the lists be-
ore the emperor and his court, on the
appointed day, when Ludwig cast his
;tcel-clad gauntlet down. Neither the
.ady nor her ch mpion seemed at hand,
but at the last summons slightly built
knight, arrayed in armor, with the visor
down, rode into the lists, The knight
was stranger to all. A purple pune
foated from his helmet, but his shield
was clear of device.
"Ho, you, Purple Pilm@!' Quoth the
emperor; fl shtest thou for the lady of
Ayerboch2'
The knight bowed, the trumpets gave
the signal, and the contest began.
With lcvcled lances Ludwig and the
unknown knight rushed upon each other,
but heaven was with the right, for the
horse of the advcnturer SHE'D, and Lud-
wigs lance, forced upward, struck the
helmet from the head of the Purple
Plume without ham ng him, but the
lance of the unknown took Ludwig full
in the throat AMI hurled him lifclcss to
the ground, and then, before the empe-
ror and all the court, the Lady of
Averboch" stood revealed in the un-
known knight. She had donned armor
and fought for her fair estate. Ever
after the day in the lists the banner of
Avcrboch bore as its device a simple
Purple Pune, in memory Of Joqueline's
brave deed.